RICHMOND, Ky. - A battle for first place is on tap this weekend for the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team as the Colonels travel to Middle Tennessee State University for an important three-game Ohio Valley Conference slate.

EKU comes into the weekend in first place in the OVC standings with a 15-3 league record, while the Blue Raiders are tied with Southeast Missouri for second place in the standings with 13-4 records. EKU and Middle meet Saturday at 3:00 p.m. in a twinbill and close the weekend set with a 3:00 p.m. contest Sunday.

"I feel good about this weekend and the remainder of the year. We're confident. We like our pitching and have begun to swing the bats a little better," said EKU head coach Jim Ward.

Eastern came up with a 20-run, 21-hit attack Tuesday in a 20-7 win over Wright State that elevated the Colonels' overall record to 25-21.

Shortstop Kiley Vaughn led the way for the Colonels with a 4-5 day. Four EKU players went 3-5, including designated hitter Aaron Williams, second baseman Adam Basil, first baseman Lee Chapman and catcher Mike Schneider. Leftfielder Tom White added two hits.

Schneider, a sophomore, tied a single game school record (held by Basil) by hitting three home runs in the Wright State game. He finished the game with seven RBI's.

Basil continued his run toward OVC Player of the Year honors with his 3-5 afternoon. In the process, he added his name on a couple of more lines in the Eastern record book. He is now the career leader at Eastern in hits (255), runs scored (187) and doubles (56).

Basil is having one of the best seasons in Colonel baseball history. He is ranked first in the OVC and eighth in the nation in hitting (.445), second in the OVC in doubles (20), tied for second in stolen bases (21) and is tied for fifth in RBI's (45) and runs scored (44).

He has already established new marks this season for most consecutive games reaching base safely (47), most walks in a career (147), most games played in a career (211) and season on-base percentage (.560).

Senior lefthander Corey Eagle moved his record to 8-5 with seven innings of pitching in the Wright State win. He struck out eight and allowed but five hits, settling down after giving up four runs in the top of the first inning.

"I struggled with my control early," said Eagle. "I really did not have my best stuff and just let the defense play behind me. It was a big win and we broke out offensively. We can use that this weekend at Middle Tennessee."

Ward indicated he would remain with the three-man rotation this weekend he has used all season in conference action. That includes sophomore righthander Chip Albright (6-5, 5.70 ERA) and sophomore righthander Scott Santa (5-3, 4.16) on Saturday in the doubleheader with Eagle (8-5, 4.74) slated to pitch the nine-inning series finale Sunday.